Kids

Tony Gonzalez: Fueling Up With Healthy Food

When you look at NFL superstar Tony Gonzalez, you don't think: He eats oatmeal for breakfast.

But the tight end, who has just retired after a Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Atlanta Falcons, does eat oatmeal for breakfast. Plus a fruit smoothie. For lunch, it's often beans and brown rice. For dinner, is it a steak? No, it's fish, whole-wheat pasta, and veggies. Dessert would be fruit sorbet.

And he's not a small guy — 6-feet-5-inches, 251 pounds — and Gonzalez certainly got enough exercise. He had a blazing football career that smashed records.

But a few years ago, he didn't feel so hot. He had a health scare and then got Bell's palsy, a rare illness that can paralyze one side of a person's face. He recovered, but started learning about healthy ways of eating. He read about how people in other countries may be healthier because they eat more vegetables and grains and less fat and sugar.

Gonzalez's Menu Makeover

Gonzalez decided to change his usual menu, which included a lot of hamburgers, steaks, French fries, and milkshakes.

"His diet was full of lots of fat. He changed his entire approach to eating," his nutritionist, Mitzi Dulan, said.

Dulan was the nutritionist assigned to help Kansas City Chiefs players eat right. When Gonzalez was with the Chiefs, he went to her for ideas. She helped him through a 2-year process to overhaul what he was eating. It worked out so well that the two wrote a book together, "The All-Pro Diet."

Just being healthier is great, but that wasn't the only reason Gonzalez kept eating this new way. For him, eating better meant better performance. Gonzalez says he got faster and had more energy.

"What he's seeing on the field is improvement in both recovery and energy levels," Dulan said. Gonzalez is going strong.

Want to see his numbers? Gonzalez caught 93 passes for 930 yards in 2012, the same year he scored eight touchdowns. And in his position — tight end — he's smashed records. He has 1,325 receptions, which means he caught the ball 1,325 times for more than 15,000 yards!

The Powerful Plate

Let's talk a little more about what's on his plate. You probably know all food has calories — units of energy that your body uses to keep going. But you might wonder why it makes a difference where your calories come from. How does your body know if you're eating 600 calories of soda and candy or 600 calories in a Gonzalez special (a dinner of fish, whole grains, and veggies)?

Your body knows, Dulan says. A sugary feast gives you a temporary boost in energy but no staying power. Contrast that with a meal of fish, brown rice, and veggies that gives you protein, fiber, and nutrients. Those calories give you longer-lasting energy. Or as Dulan puts it, "You'll be quicker on your feet."

"It's like a NASCAR driver — you wouldn't put just any fuel in your car," she said. Healthy food "is longer-lasting fuel."

If you're curious if this would work for you, Dulan says try it for a week. Eat more whole grains (brown rice, popcorn, oatmeal), more veggies, and more lean sources of protein like fish and chicken.

Plan a Post-Workout Snack

And right after a workout, give yourself a healthy boost with a liquid snack that includes both protein and carbohydrates. Chocolate milk is perfect, she said. Your muscles need protein and milk has it. Drink it within 20 minutes of finishing your workout. Healthy eating and the right snack after working out are two keys to Gonzalez's plan.

What's your favorite junk food and do you limit how much of it you eat?I don't really eat junk food, but I do have a weakness for fresh-baked cookies — chocolate chip and oatmeal are my favorites.

Have your eating habits changed since you were a kid or teen athlete?My eating habits have changed dramatically! I completely avoid packaged foods and eat a lot of healthy stuff that I never ate as a kid. Now, I eat lots of fruits and vegetables every single day.

Any food advice for kids and teens who are practicing and playing hard?Yes, get plenty of fruits and vegetables for good energy. Avoid fast food, packaged foods, and foods loaded with added sugar.

How do you help your own kids eat right?I prepare meals for them and make sure they get fruits and vegetables at every meal. I follow my own advice — I don't give them anything from a package.